The Fire Inside
by ellenong
Summary: This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.
1. Normality

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

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NORMALITY

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_This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both tried to keep themselves from falling into the empty void that was society. The judgmental and prejudice lines between the normal and the dysfunctional was hopelessly thin yet unbearably clear. Those who were dysfunctional were named outcasts and expelled from the society itself and left to scrounge around for whatever scrap of happiness there was left in the world. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more._

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I shrug my backpack further up my shoulder as I dragged my feet along the footpath, making a scraping sound each time I took a step. I took a deep breath and sighed, just one more semester and I would graduate. I would move out, to somewhere no one knew me, and live my life the I wanted to. There would be no weight on my shoulders dragging me down, any burden to bare or society on my back. I could be spirited, free but mostly, myself. I could live undefined, bending and breaking the rules that have plastered me my entire life.

And it was about time.

It was time for change.

And who knows, maybe I would be the one who shows society their horrendous ways and they could try to fix themselves. Perhaps then, there would be a time of peace, harmony and prosperity but right now I would have to endure just another horrid day of school.

I arrived at my usual monday morning class, as I scanned the class, I received a few sneers and snickers thrown my way. I simply shook my head, averted my eyes and cast it across the room, to the middle left seat. It had been my seat for as long as I've been at the school. I had been so afraid of change when I was younger but when disaster struck, my whole life changed and I have yet to decide whether it was for better or worse.

I head over to the seat, shoving my backpack beneath my seat as I carefully took out my notebook. With all my utensils laid out in front of me, I took a better outlook on the class. At the front of the class, there were the 'smart normals', they were essentially nerds but since they were fairly well-off, they were classified a 'normal'. Behind them, sat the worst people you could ever meet in your life - the 'pop its'. Yes, the name was pretty stupid, but it still stood. They were the popular kids in school and generally the 'its'. They were fake, snobby, rich and arrogant. Once you get entangled with them, stuck in their web of lies, you're trapped and the only way out was to become one of them.

I gulped at that thought. It would be awfully dreadful to turn into one of them. Once they settled on a prey, they pounce, attack, and eventually devour it. I've only seen such a thing once in my lifetime and lets just say, it had a tragically sad ending.

More over, situated behind them were the 'outcasts', me included. The name was straightforward and outright correct. We, the outcasts, were people who didn't belong anywhere. We were the people who sat behind buildings at breaks because we had no where to be, and no where to go. The thought of that was ludicrous of course, nonetheless though, it was where _we_ belonged.

And to take a step outside that rule, was to be committing social suicide.

As my eyes examined the rest of the room, it came across an unfamiliar figure. He looked out of place, like he didn't belong. I hadn't seen him with _us_ before, so I assumed he was just lost. But even a new person knew not to associate themselves with us if they were 'normal'. Second guessing from the assault of glares and daggers sent in his direction, I figured he was right where he was supposed to be. With _us, _the outcasts.

For some reason, that unnerved me.

I decided to make my move. Although there was not much I could do to suffice for the onslaught they sent barraging after him, I could at least make his day feel a little more welcoming. He eyed me suspiciously, flinching as I extended my hand out for a shake. More often than not, people assumed because we were outcasts, we had no manners. In their devious eyes, we were like wild animals but to me, the only wild animals around, were them.

To discriminate someone because of their gender, race and background was atrocious. Fundamentally, we were all the same, are we not? Are we not all humans? So why does society have to exile a certain group of people, just because they weren't as fortunate?

That, I did not understand.

The look in his eyes said it all, he had lived in terror, pain visible in his eyes. For most people, he would have looked like any outcast, poor, filthy, nothing. But to me, I could see through his charade. His life had been painful, and every breathing second had been brutal.

And how did I know this?

I knew this because I too was broken, damaged and scarred for life by the very people who walked beside me on this Earth.

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_Author's note: How was that? I hope that wasn't too distressing for you for read. I thought, since I'm doing this story anyway, why shouldn't I incorporate the problems of the world today? I know for one, bullying has still ceased to stop and that horrifies me. I just don't understand how heartless someone can be to do such a vile act against another. It fills my heart with pain to see that one person dies each day from this. My heart and love goes out to everyone who has been affected by this. _

_I hope you all stay strong and no matter what people say, keep your head up high. Because I know there will always be someone who will love and miss you even when you're gone. _


	2. The Small Boy

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

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THE SMALL BOY

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_Small hunching figure,_

_Lurking in the dark._

_Hidden by secrets_

_And darkened by fear._

_He stands alone,_

_In a crowded room,_

_His face pale and shapely,_

_His body never moving an inch._

_It was strange was he._

_He did not look like he belonged,_

_Of course, he did not._

_In a society such as this,_

_Who did?_

_Not I, I know that much_

_Not he,_

_The small mysterious boy._

_Because no one belonged anymore,_

_In an evil world such as this._

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"Korra." I extended out my hand for a shake.

The small boy didn't reply, he simply dulled in his emotions, fidgeting with his fingers. Confounded by his actions, I tilted my head sideways, examining the boy. From his hunching figure, he looked small but I presumed he was over 6 foot tall. He had long, thick black lashes which hid his pale grey eyes. They were definitely something to marvel at. If they held any emotion at all. It was empty, hollow.

His long shaggy hair overhung half of his face, hiding his left eye. I wondered why it was so.

I spent the next few moments, analysing the small boy from a distance. The way his cheek bones stuck out and made his jaw more profound and prominent, only meant that he hadn't been eating well. I couldn't blame him, I hadn't either. His eyebrows arched slightly and his forehead wrinkled as he looked over at me.

I sent a small smile at the strange boy and leaned back against the table, taking in everything. Closing my eyes, I focused on his face imprinted in my mind, how it plagued my other senses. It was overwhelming. I hadn't felt this way in a long time. It had been a long way ago since I've had someone impact me so powerfully.

I was hell-bent determined on finding out why he had such an overpowering effect on me.

Finally, after what seemed like decades, he met my eyes again. This time he held it and I could have sworn I felt something warm in my heart, something that made blood rush to my head. Maybe it was the sudden lightheadedness, but I saw a brief twinkle in his eyes.

Nonetheless, that warmth evaporated once he spoke.

"Did you come to taunt me more? Do you take pride in making my life miserable? Making it a living hell? Because I sure think so, otherwise you wouldn't be standing there, looking at me like _that_." He spat out the last word, as his icy glare pierced my mind. His raspy voice sent chills convulsing down my spine.

He had been downright atrocious how he spoke but the way his voice rang through my ears, the raw intensity itself was so compelling. The cold, yet fiery look in his eyes was mesmerising made me question my reasons for approaching him. Everything about him was alluring and it only made me want more.

He didn't give me much after that, he returned back to his previous state. His lifeless eyes plastered on the black board, his spine hunching forward, his legs placed firmly on the ground and his fingers still fidgeting around something that resembled a small, simple metal ring.

He was odd, unlike anyone I had ever known. He was not like the rest, even the 'outcasts' seemed to outcast him but I found him curious. There was something to that boy, I did not quite catch his name but I know, there was something that I could relate to.

Something that was dark and so emotionally controlling, my throat dried at the thought of mentioning it. I almost felt as if he had been there that night.

It pained me. I died a little more each day knowing what happened that night. How I could've prevented it all if I had spoke up. From that night onwards, I was never the same. I was more distant, and I didn't trust people so easily. I pushed and shoved people away, even the ones who were my friends. I had lost everyone and everything I held dear to me because I couldn't deal with my pain. I thought that if I pushed hard enough, I couldn't have to worry about them, it would only be a vague memory. If I didn't have anyone around that reminded me of that night, it would make it easier.

But it didn't.

And now, I'm an outcast because of it. If only I hadn't pushed that hard, my life could have had some happiness.

No, never.

If they were truly my friends, they would have fought back, protected me, held me tight as I cried myself to sleep each night. No, they were never my true friends. They didn't like the real me. I didn't like the real me.

But did I really know who the real me was?

...

I spent all day searching for _him_. But there was no sign. I asked around, receiving mildly irritating answers in reply. No one bothered to dignify my questions with a response that _I wanted to hear_. I was lost for words. It seemed, no one knew who this boy was, where he had come from or where he even lived. He had disappeared as quickly as he came.

Yet it intrigued me more by the hour. The thought of him plagued my mind, and I had not stopped obsessing about this strange boy who appeared to have no history or backdrop.

But I knew one thing. One thing only.

He was the same. The same as me, that is. He understood how it felt to be on the outside looking in, to have you whole life an arms reach away. To have everything you've ever desired, from the smallest of things, just beyond your grasp. It was torture, knowing, living everyday, expecting good things to happen but all you get is all the horrible crap thrown back in your face. He understood how it felt to be a failure at everything. He understood how you could never have that perfect life you yearn for.

I didn't know him but I knew just that much from the look in his eyes. Those cold, empty, lifeless eyes laid out his whole life like a book in my hands. I could read them perfectly and from that brief moment our eyes held, I felt a spark igniting.

Being held captive in a life of darkness, with nothing to strive for, blood and hatred all around. In a society where innocence no long roamed the streets, only few pure people remained, where everything good turned bad. Leading a life such as that was a task close to impossible and I'm barely surviving.

But there was hope.

Because someone finally knew what that was like.

Then I saw it. The very same boy who had offended me before, but hadn't left my mind since. He was by his lockers, his appearance was weary and battered. The bags and redness in his eyes gave off the impression that he had been crying. I could only imagine what he had gone through since those hours passed. His voice rung through my mind like a memory.

_"Did you come to taunt me more? Do you take pride in making my life miserable? Making it a living hell?"_

His pale grey met my saddened blue. From across the hallway, I could see him contemplating his decisions. I opened my mouth then clamped them shut again, remembering his shallow words. They kept replaying in my head, a constant reminder what it was like to be bullied, to be frightened, to be living in an actual place of hell.

"Hey." My voice croaked and my face flushed. I didn't expect any answer, I only wanted consolation to my restless head. I leaned against the locker, eyes looking up at the blue sky, I wondered what it felt like to be free.

To be spirited.

To be able to leave this dammed place.

Leave and never come back.

What I would do, what I could achieve if I just got up and left one day. No regrets, nothing holding me back, no strings tying my back down to this place. It would be glorious, I speculated. I could just picture it, everything would be radiant and exceptional. Living a life where hatred was banished to a foreign land, pureness reigning and dreams could come true.

If only.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispered in my ear. His sudden action intruded on my thoughts and I snapped back to look him dead in the eye.

I saw that same twinkle in his eyes again, as he joined me.

"Just wondering what it would be life to live a life completely opposite to this." I spoke, my voice soft and barely audible. "I've always wanted to get away and just live my life, you know?"

"Yeah. Me too." I turned to face him, smiling at him briefly then turning back around to face the open once again. I heard him release a long, exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry about before. I just thought you were one of _them_." He narrowed his eyes at that last word and I nodded in acceptance. I saw how hard his eyes turned when he mentioned 'them' and how his whole body went rigid and stiff.

I slowly and gently placed a small hand over his arm, reassuring him softly. "Don't be sorry. I understand."

I try not to despise them but after what they've done to me and my life, but how can I not? They've ruined my life, ripped my family apart and now torment on a daily basis. How can I not fuel my hatred for them. I reminded myself as delicately as I could manage.

But they were still people.

_..._

Each day passing, I feel myself slip a little further and I didn't know how to get back up. I didn't want to fall into the darkness and be fuelled by hatred but I knew, there was a little part of evil in me now.

I was no longer pure.

I hadn't been since that day.

I've barely been able to compose myself. Until today. There was something about him, the small boy, whose name I still did not quite catch, that lifted me up. Even if it was for a limited period of time, one nasty thought hadn't intruded on my mind.

I didn't know what effect he had on me but I knew it had to be strong enough for me to release myself of my troubles.

The more I thought of it, the more intrigued I was. How was it that he had been so emotionless and empty but with just a twinkle in his eye, he completely opened up to me. It was as if he was a different person altogether and all I had to do was break through that hard exterior. That shell of lies that we built around us in prevention of getting hurt again.

I had only barely chipped the hard case but I was sure if I could get through to him, maybe he could help me too.

Maybe then, I could finally forgive and forget.

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_Author's note: And now the fun has only begun! Korra and Tahno finally getting along! This is most definitely AU and they are both out of character. I wanted to modernise it and address the issues of our society today. Who knows we could all learn something from it?_

_I want to thank uiniflex, she has been so inspiring to me lately, reading her stories was the only reason why I wanted to write this to begin with and I don't think I could've started without her. So please go check her out and show her some love!_


	3. True Nature

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

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TRUE NATURE

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I saw the same boy again, sitting at exactly the same desk as he had previously occupied days before. I still did not know his name, nor anything else but that did not matter. I didn't need to know their story, or their background to be able to make friends. I had known, and learnt, better than to be judgmental and discriminative despite the two surrounding and encasing this small town like a bubble.

He paid no attention to me or anyone else. His icy eyes were no longer dark and gloomy, I could've sworn I saw a glimmer of hope or happiness. His hair was disheveled but had his usual shine, his clothes were crisp and clean, not tattered and torn, and a small smile tugged at his thinly lips. His posture remained upright throughout the entire lesson.

Why did I know this?

It was fairly simple, yet too embarrassing to speak aloud. To sum it up plainly, his whole appearance had badgered me through the night, his voice replaying in my head like an odd tune or old melody. His voice was those of an angel and he was like a light shining down from above, guiding us, me, through this reachers path ahead of me.

People would call it a coincidence that the those of us met, but I believe it to be different. How could it be that suddenly the two most broken people found each other? If not for any reason at all than to be broken together. I felt as if he was slowly mending me, putting pieces of me back together. It tiresome, yet like a burden being lifted off my shoulder.

From that night, that dreadful night, I've had weight on my shoulders that I've had to carry around with me. A constant reminder of what I had lost, of what I could never get back. It was there, reminding me each morning, how hope could be diminished and squashed under a foot so easily. How if you misplaced a step, stood outside of the boundary, you were immediately terminated. It was social suicide.

I had known from that day onwards, never to shed light or even the smallest of happiness. In these times, people go to extremes to make everyone as miserable as they were. As if their disappointing life wasn't enough for them, they had to tear down others.

All my life, I had lived in this town. Yet, I could barely manage to remember a time where everything was simple and sweet, not bitter and hatred spreading like fire. Looking for that again would be similar to scraping the bottom of a bowl that was empty, and had nothing in it to begin with. I had once thought that this town was different, that we would call ourselves a community and inherently, work as one. But at one point in time, every single person decided it would be best to opt for greed and wealth, turning friend against friend. It was like a jungle, where one had to fight to death to survive and stay fed.

Often I would shake my head in disgust, but I was no better. I had used to be one of them, shamefully enough, I had regretted it every single day. It was a painful memory but it called upon me, each night, awakening old memories I no longer wanted to be associated with.

It didn't stop there.

Those that I had left behind, tormented me, following me like a shadow, stalking my every move like a ghost. I didn't know when I had turned from being the most desirable girl in town to being the most hated. It had seemed my life had turned around completely.

I'm not saying it was a bad decision, of course I know it was not. I could not live my life any longer, knowing what _they_ had done to my family. To me personally. My family had sworn me this way and _they _the other. It was tearing me half.

But I hadn't done what I did for my family, for Ian, but myself. It was something I needed to do. I knew he would be proud of me. I knew he would always be looking down at me, protecting me. And I only missed him more.

...

_I had seen Ian slip around the back of the house, his footsteps leaving cracked branches on the gravel, the side door swinging on its hinges but in particular, his rough and coarse breathing as he passed my window. _

_I snuck after him, pondering where he was going so late into the night. I made sure to stay a good distance a way, unable for him to see me but just far enough so I knew where he was going. I followed him mindlessly around the deserted streets, wind billowing in the late summers night. It was considerably light, the sun still setting at such a late hour. Nonetheless, the main road was completely abandoned, everyone lulled up in their houses. Shifting uncomfortably under my coat, I continued to stalk in the shadows behind him, as he veered off the main road and onto a dirt path. _

_I hadn't expected the sudden interchange between the dirt and the gravel as it caught me in surprise and I choked and coughed. I was panicking, unable to see anything as the dust clouded my vision. I heard Ian's voice boom loudly from a few metres away as I hid behind a bush as he looked around for an intruder, all senses on alert. I quietened my breathing and waiting until I no longer heard his footsteps. _

_But when I came out from my crouched position, I found he was gone. No where in sight. _

_I walked around mindlessly for a few minutes before I heard some faint yelling in the distance. I tuned my ears in and listened carefully, following the sounds. When I found the source of the yelling, I quietly creeped around the corner to take a quick glance at who was causing such a conundrum at this hour. I hadn't expected this, but deep down I knew it could only be from one group of people. _

_Ian had a knack of getting himself into trouble and odd situations. And one day, it got really bad. He got himself into this group of friends, who seemed carefree and spirited from first glance but if you dug deeper, you could see they were fuelled by hatred and sparked trouble anywhere they trotted upon. At first, it seemed Ian didn't see this but as he fell further into the group and its secrets, he began to realise what he had gotten himself into. But before he could back out, it was too late. _

_I listened in on their conversation, trying to grasp any word that I could hear. The sound of a car pulling out from a driveway not far from where I was standing made that close to impossible. I waited patiently, tapping my fingers on the brick wall as I waited for it to disappear. When the roar of the car engine was no longer audible, I tuned in again. This time, I gasped in surprise at what I heard._

_"No! I will no longer be one of you. I never want to be again! You're horrible, you only hurt others and you do nothing but bad. I never want to be a part of that again." I stood around the corner, worriedly as I listened in on Ian and his friends. I held my breath as he spoke, he had sounded so confident. I admired that part of him, how he could turn on his friends like that. Being only twelve, I didn't understand much but the tone in his voice gave away his anger, and that frightened me. Much hadn't frightened me but this time, I was fearful for him._

_"Are you sure you really want to do this Ian? You know you will never be treated like this again? You will be one of _them_. Do you really want to be like that? A disgrace, filth, unwanted, I don't even know how this town puts up with people like this. They're worthless." I sunk my top teeth into my bottom lip as it quivered violently. I hadn't heard anyone mention other members of the community with such hostility. _

_I leaned my back against the wall, feeling the grooves in the bricks and the way it perturbed into my skin. _

_Once my brother spoke up again, I paid no attention to this. "How can you say that about people! They're the same as you. Warm-blooded, breathing, alive, humans! They are the same. We are the same! You have no authority to speak about them with such crude manners such as that!"_

_"I will speak about those filth as I wish! What are you going to do? Hurt me?" The boy snorted derisively and clutched his stomach in laughter. From my angle, I could see my brother fist his hands into tiny balls, fume rising above his head. Every muscle in his body tense up, his shoulders become rigid and stiff. His face pointed and uncompromising._

_Then suddenly, it was gone. _

_"Like I would waste my time on someone such as _you_." He spoke plainly, his voice showing no warmth or emotion to the other boy and he simply released his clenched body."_

_"Don't you turn your back on us Ian! We're your brothers! You leave now and you will regret it." The other boy yelled and my brother's body snapped back around, making the others flinch. _

_"Oh yeah? And how exactly are you going to do that? Destroy my life? Because I'm pretty sure you can't do anymore damage than you have already caused!" __I hissed in pain, when I realised I had been clutching onto a sharp piece of rock on the wall, drawing blood. Being too distracted by the conversation, or rather more yelling, I hadn't known I was squeezing my eyes shut and slamming my body into the thick wall. _

___"Oh, we can do so much worse."_

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___Author's note: How was that? It was insight to Korra's life, the first being the present day and the second being five years ago, when she was twelve. If you didn't quite catch onto the whole brother/Ian thing, although his name is only mentioned here, then I suggest you scan over until you find small snippets of him because I assure you, it's so important in the future. _

___But most of you can already guess what happened and it's actually really easy to pick up on it from the start, seeing this is a bullying story but yeah.. _

___Hope you enjoyed that! I hope you do favourite/follow or even review! Because I love it when you do. I will continue to write despite this as I have had so far! _


	4. Broken Toy Part I

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

**WARNING: GRAPHIC SCENE, CAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN IF YOU'RE TRIGGER SENSITIVE. CUTTING AND DEPRESSION IS DEPICTED. **

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BROKEN TOY PART I

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_There's a boy in class _

_He sits in the middle_

_On the right side _

_And he laughs_

_When something's funny _

_And he smiles _

_When he talks to you _

_And when you look in his eyes _

_Though they don't look_

_Like the eyes _

_Of someone smiling _

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"Tahno?" I opened the door slightly, tilting it on its creaking hinges. I heard sniffling and crying, then a whole lot of clatter and clashing from the boys bathroom.

I had seen him enter the toilets from across the hall, in my history class but I had yet to see him exit. It had been over an hour and there was no sign of him. It seemed, he entered but had not left.

It intrigued me what he could be doing in there for such an amount of time. I kept my eye steadied on the door, waiting for him to walk out like his usual self. But after the period ended and his presence had not yet braced my cautious yet curious mind, I decided to investigate.

I placed a small hand on the handle of the door, this particular toilets were for outcasts only, as was this hallway as a matter of fact. It usually only occupied kids with depression, anxiety and panic attacks and any other mentally unstable conditions.

I, for one, did not care. I had had my own fair share of battling emotional problems, especially after the tragedy that shook my family. For a long time, I had been so upset and down that I forgot who I truly was and I had lost my way. But I had found it again, although originally I wouldn't have thought to go down this path, it would eventually lead me to where I was mean to be; where I belonged.

No matter which path I took, be it the rocky path through treacherous domains such as high cliffs or icy mountains, or if I took the simpler way, following the main road. It was take me to my destination. I had yet to know the exact location of this but it wasn't so much as the destination but the journey.

Not everyone has had it tough like me, some worse but it didn't matter because as long as you stayed strong and held your head up high, you'll be okay. Like my brother said, _Be strong, Korra. Don't let anyone tear you down. You must always remain true to yourself._

I stuck my head in, but there was no one in plain sight. My curiosity only growing, I took a small step back but was immediately frozen in place when I heard crying. Sobbing, choking, and dripping water on the cold marble stone?

That was strange.

I took a few more light paces and stopped when I found the last stall occupied. It wasn't fully closed but enough for me to see a hunching figure hiding in its darkened shadows. The face was hidden from sight and all that was visible was his shredded clothes, his bony arms and legs and the sharp outline of his fingers. They were tracing something, making small lines along his wrists.

I slowly pushed open the cubicle door, letting everything sink in.

"Tahno." I breathed, my voice hiking uncontrollably as his name slipped from my mouth.

Here he was, the small boy, hunching over his slim body. His arms in plain sight and a small metal blade in his right hand. My eyes trailed over to his left arm where I saw jagged lines running from the base of his wrists to the inside of his elbow.

I instantly dropped to my knees. The sight was unbearable. That was how _it_ started. How it had ended for Ian. But no, I wouldn't let this happen to anyone else. I wouldn't allow it.

I felt his uneasy stare shift towards me, my eyes were settled on the small puddles of red liquid that trickled down his wrist and oozed into a pond at his foot.

That was the sound of dripping water - except it wasn't water. It was much worse.

"Tahno?" My voice came out almost inaudible, barely enough sound for him to hear me. It was a small squeak but it was enough to gain his full attention.

His eyes were now transfixed on me as I slowly gravitated towards him. I nodded at him reassuringly as I slowly and carefully took the blade from his bloodied grasp and replaced it with my hand. I let my eyes wander up from his hands, my fingers subconsciously trailing over his scars lightly to touch his bruised face.

My eyes moved from left to right as I studied him in full detail. Since that day, a week ago, he had grown thinner, paler and it looked like he hadn't showered in over a month. His eyes that once held a small smart were dilated to a dull lifeless grey, the colour before a terrible storm. Using my thumb, I traced his cheekbones, letting it rest at the tip of his lips.

"What did you do?" I said quietly, hopefully silent enough to not get an answer. To my dismay, he answered.

"I fixed myself."

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_Author's note: I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm writing pretty depressing stuff lately and I have no idea why. But I find my writing is better when the story is dark and not the usual preppy cheery stuff. I don't know, maybe you disagree. I guess this is how I write in the middle of the night when I'm all alone. Enjoy the good writing while it lasts, I guess?_

_Anyway, there is a part II of this when Tahno explains himself to Korra. I just found a fault in my story, they never really got to know each others names but just pretend they introduced themselves, why don't we? Oh and yeah, I threw in some dark stuff because I'm emotional tonight. The next chapters will be the same, this whole story is pretty much about social hierarchy and status but also about bullying and depression, basically any problems teenagers go through today. Although, this is the only real graphic scene in it. But you know, just go along with it and who knows, maybe you will learn something about our society today and of its many problems. _


	5. Broken Toy Part II

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

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BROKEN TOY PART II

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_Who would fall in love with a boy,_  
_who has scars down his arms?_

_Who would fall in love with a girl,_  
_whose smiles fades quickly?_

_Who would fall in love with anyone,_  
_who didn't allow themselves to be loved?_

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"Why Tahno?" I whispered almost silently, looking him in the eye, them letting them trail down to his scars.I could hear a crisp inhale before a lengthy sigh. His shoulders slump over and I saw him draw his hand back further away from sight.

"Because," He replied, "I can hurt myself, but I can't hurt you."

I took my hands in his, sitting cross-legged in front of him, I lifted the insides of his wrists closer to my face. The cuts weren't deep and weren't drawing much blood, he was obviously more experienced in this matter. If it were his first time, the wound would have been messy and could have been deadly. Trickles of blood dripped down the side of his pale thin wrists and fell onto the ground. They were oddly comforting despite the act being so horrendous.

"What does it feel like?" I murmured, gently running my fingers around the new swelling red lines. I felt him flinch at the first contact of my skin against his, but he soothed into the comforting touch as I began to make my way up his arms.

I observed the way his skin wasn't smooth and flawless like I had expected it to be, it was jagged, discoloured and a mess in general. My mouth turned into a frown as I continued to trail my fingers up and down his wrist. His breathing hardened and I could hear him swallow the growing lump in the pit of his throat.

"What does it feel like?" He repeated, slowly drawing his eyes back to mine.

"Yeah."

"It feels like I'm stuck in the tides of a roaring ocean, tearing me down with each and every wave. It feels like I'm trying to save myself, struggling for a breath of air, but every time I get a chance to breathe, the waves push me back down. It feels like there's no hope in saving myself because I'm drowning. It feels like the waves are the weight of the world and they're drowning me, pushing me down every second I try to push myself up again. It feels like I'm hoping, hoping for someone to save me, but the waves keep pushing me back instead. The waves are the sadness, and in each tide, the sadness pulls me in deeper, and at one point, I just let myself drown." I watched him, every single detail vivid in my mind; the way he flinched when he mentioned how he was drowning, barely living. Every time his mouth curled at the end of each sentence. The way his shoulders dropped and eyes casted away when I saw tears falling down his face.

Subconsciously, I reached out and grasped his small face in one hand, wiping at the tears frantically as mine began to swell up. I didn't have an answer for the explanation he gave, I didn't have a clue as to comfort him. It was as if he had described my world exactly, it was as if he understood me. And I knew very well he did.

We had both been through hell and back, and we're only barely surviving. Grasping for any chance, any opportunity, any breath of air before the ocean drowns us again. With each pushing tide, we slip further into the blackness, the deepest, darkest depths of the oceans where there was no return. Because once you were there, you were a lost cause, doomed to scour the ocean floor for an eternity.

Until someone came along and pulled you back up, often these people would discard you away, like a piece of seaweed caught in a tangled net or an old boot from a fishing boat. But once in a lifetime, if you were lucky, you would find that person that just fits. The only person that had persevered through as much as you had, and from that, you both learn to depend on each other. It was a chance of fate.

But more than not, no one ever gets to meet this person and if you were blessed enough to have, you would not let them go.

"Tahno." I managed to squeak out after I regained my ability to speak. He averted his gaze down at his itchy and scarred arms, pulling down the rough edges of his sleeved top. I slowed his motions by placing two of my hands over his own and helped him cover the scars he obviously didn't want me to see.

"After all, who am I? I'm just a broken toy." He looked so broken, damaged and defeated. He had the look in his eyes which told all, he was defective, faulty, _imperfect_. And who better than that for me? For another person who was just as beaten down as I was?

"But you don't have to be," I leaned in close, "because we can be broken together."

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_Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that._

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_Author's note: Okay, yes, that did not have any plot whatsoever but I just felt it was needed. Because now, after this, they've bonded. They get each other now, and they're finally friends or to so speak, something more perhaps? As hinted in the summary! Hell yes!_

_But after my one week break which I really need to study, I will be back with a ugh more interesting story, hopefully not so dark and depressing and with so much more plot about how the 'normals' and 'outcasts' originated. I was having thoughts about making that a general POV, so not Korra's. Then maybe, you would understand how this story came to be and how Korra's brother (Ian) died, if you didn't quite catch that. Although I've made that blatantly clear by now, but in case you haven't fully understood, oops, spoiler alert! Ahahah._

_I guess I will see some of you at the end of next week!_

_P.S. WE'RE AT ALMOST 500 VIEWS ON THIS STORY! I AM SO HAPPY! THANK YOU ALL!_


	6. Forgotten

**The Fire Inside**

**Summary: **This is the story about how a broken girl met a damaged boy. Although their first meeting didn't go down smoothly, something clicked. Maybe it was because they were both imperfect, how they both were losing the battle of staying alive. Perhaps, this is why the two were destined to meet, an inevitable friendship formed and unlikely, but probable, something just that little bit more.

**Rated: **PG13+

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FORGOTTEN

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_Be who you are, because you never know who would love the person you hide._

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I feel like you've used me to cure your insensitive wicked ways. My heart no longer feels, my body no longer soars, I'm drowning in depths beyond capability. And yet, I'm still breathing, still living.

But barely.

Without the sight of blood trickling down my wrist, I feel dead. Unmoving, as if I'm frozen in place, watching as people move on with their life. I'm so void of emotions; I can't feel pain anymore. I don't feel anything at all.

I suppose its a good thing, I don't want to feel. I don't want to remember how helpless I was, how at mercy I was to his primitive animalistic behaviour. I was weak, and he savoured me, like a dessert. I couldn't fight back. No, I was but a fragile girl.

Helpless I was.

Screamed I tried.

Fought back, I did not.

My small frail arms were pinned above my head, locked in a strong grip and I could not tear away. I watched as his eyes devoured me, roaming every inch of my body I had wished to preserve. I didn't want it to be like this, I wanted someone who would treasure me. I didn't want to be treated like a toy, pushed aside once it was torn and used. I felt disgusted and I was helpless to the feeling of his lips trailing down my neck.

I could see it in his eyes, there was no stopping it now. Oh no, there would be no end to this torture soon.

"Ssh, don't worry. It will be all over soon." His voice showed no emotion, only anger and frustration hinted at his tongue. I felt violated but I couldn't do anything. I was miles away from any road, in a deserted, sandy land far from the closest highway we turned off from. If by any luck, he would leave me here to die. There would be no going back, living through life always looking over my shoulder, alert and aware. Somewhere at the back of my head, I knew the nightmare wouldn't end.

Tears pricked at my eyes, stinging them with the painful memories. That was only the first night of the abuse. He had me pinned up against the wall but I didn't fight back. No, I didn't resist. I gave in and simply just waited. After a while, the pain dulled down to nothing but numbness. Years followed and the abuse didn't stop there, it pushed me to the point of depression. I had no friends left, I had shoved anyone away. Scared, terrified of what might happen if I let anyone close again.

I thought once I was alone, in a world that everyone accepted each other except me. But I didn't know what being alone truly meant until now.

It seemed, as I fell further into the point of no return, everyone else seemed to give up on me too. That was when the pain and hurt started to disappear. I spent so long channelling my fear or anger into hating everyone and eventually pushed them too far out to let them back in. When realisation shook that no one wanted to love me anymore, all those emotions just left.

Disappeared.

Where it went to, I had no idea.

That's why I had given up on that a long time ago. To feel was to be weak and to be weak was to be vulnerable. And when you were vulnerable, people took advantage of you, and you were left with pieces of your own screwed up life.

I was left empty. I was entirely hollow on the inside, there was nothing to me, I was only a hard shelled case on the outside.

He watched me silently from the other side, his eyes pleading for me to make a move. His hands were roughly shoved in his pocket, made evident by the rips and tears down the side seam. His face was coarse and thinly shaped; clearly he hadn't been doing so well either, much like me. I had long forgotten how to speak to anyone, being shut in my own bubble for such a long time. I opened my mouth but closed it, watching as sad resentment filled his eyes. When I finally willed the courage to speak, I turned to whisper an apology to him, but it disintegrated into the loud hallway. Before I could speak another word, he was gone.

Several months had passed since I first met the small boy, I constantly wondered if he had forgotten me like everyone else had. But I knew, much like he knew, we could never forget each other. Although we never spoke anymore, I could feel a small dwindling fire inside that spurred me to keep on living. I would never forget those days we spent together; the memories we cherished.

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_I had forgotten how to be happy a long time ago._

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_But the fire inside of me, made me want to keep on living__._

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_Author's note: Okay I lied before, there won't be any romance, but I might add in few little fluff pieces at the end late when I want or feel like it. So this is the end, pretty sad angsty piece of work and I'm mostly proud of it except some stuff could be expanded on like the whole bullying thing but I seriously can't be bothered and I have no time at all during school now! _

_Like I said, this is complete now but I will add in little one shots of their time together before their inevitable end (AKA this chapter or me as a horrible writer). _

_Let me know what you think. _


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